Odette
Odette was a minor character first mentioned in the second Dark Parables game, The Exiled Prince. Her background is expanded upon in the eleventh Dark Parables game, The Swan Princess and the Dire Tree and she is the protagonist of its bonus game, A Fable of Two Hearts. Odette was the fourth wife of the Frog Prince and a former Swan Princess. Like all members of the Swan Guard Odette is based on the Knight of the Swan, however, Odette is also based on the character of Odette in the Russian ballet Swan Lake. Appearance and Personality Odette was a lovely young woman with brown hair that she wore in a bun. As the Swan Princess, she wore the high-ranking Swan Guard uniform as well as the Swan Crown. In portraits painted during her marriage to Prince James, she was depicted wearing a blue tutu edged with blue beads and frills as well as a blue choker necklace and earrings. In life, Odette was a kind, brave and dutiful woman - as the Swan Princess, she upheld her duty to protect her kingdom which at times could make her stern, but not without mercy. History Odette's true parentage is unknown - as a baby, she was left wrapped up in a blanket on the banks of Swan Lake where she neither cried nor laughed, but instead stared silently at the water. Eventually, she was found by a carpenter's wife and adopted as the couple could not have children of their own. As soon as the child could walk, she would often revisit the lake where she was found; her adopted mother initially feared the little girl wanted her real mother, but the carpenter knew Odette was really in love with the water and had a deep, mystical connection to it. As a young woman, Odette joined the Swan Guard and eventually rose to become Swan Princess, dedicating her life to defending the Dire Tree and the Goddess Flora. All was peaceful in the Swan Kingdom during Odette's reign until the day a group of savage Harpies appeared. Advised by a member of the Swan Guard to search the Swan Archives, Odette encountered a young Druid who was being attacked. After Odette rescued her, the Druid gave the Princess a royal frog and urged her to keep it close to her heart. With the help of Ewan the Craftsman, Princess Odette uncovered a foul plot carried out by one of the members of her own Swan Guard. She confronted the Traitor of the Guard and took on the dangerous Harpy Queen entirely on her own. After her defeat of the Harpy Queen, Odette kissed the frog in gratitude and he turned into a man. He introduced himself as Prince James, the cursed Frog Prince. The two quickly fell in love, but the duty to their Kingdoms kept the lovers apart for some time. They kept their love alive through written letters until Odette could deny her feelings no longer. She made a public announcement to the Swan Guard that she would wed James out of love. In response, the Swan Guard put Odette on trial and sentenced her to death for high treason and betrayal against the Goddess Flora. However, the Goddess took mercy on Odette for her victory over the Harpy Queen, and so Odette was instead turned into the first Black Swan and was banished from the Swan Kingdom to avoid death. Odette was reunited with James and the two got married. Though they lived happily for a few years, being away from Swan Lake and the deep connection she shared with it took its toll on Odette. Her body began to rapidly age and she eventually succumbed to illness. Her death resulted in James once again reverting back into a frog. Sometime after her death, Prince James built a shrine to her in his Underground Kingdom. It contains her tutu, a detailed marionette booth and a beautiful moonlit lake with a statue of the Princess dancing beside it. He also put a painting of Odette in his secret portrait room, with a personal dedication underneath it that reads as follows: "Your elegance and grace have forever captured my heart." Powers and Abilities * Adept Fighter: Odette was a high ranking member of the Swan Guards, earning the title "Swan Princess". * Transformation: During her time as a Swan Guard, it can be presumed that Odette has the ability to change between her human form and swan form. Relationships * Unnamed biological parents * Unnamed carpenter (adoptive father, deceased) * Unnamed carpenter's wife (adoptive mother, deceased) * Prince James (husband, deceased) * Unnamed Prince (brother-in-law, deceased) * Goddess Flora (patron Goddess) * Swan Guard (member of, formerly) * Flow (friend) * Traitor of the Guard (enemy, fate unknown) * Ewan the Craftsman (acquaintance/ally) * Harpy Queen (enemy, deceased) * Odile (follower/admirer) * Druid (acquaintance) * Unnamed stepdaughter (from her husband's first marriage, deceased) * Forest King and Queen (parents-in-law, deceased) Relevant Parables Forbidden Idol '(''from Swan Princess and the Dire Tree) At one time, long ago, childrens' laughter could be heard throughout Dire Island, much more than today. Their favorite game to play was one where each child would pretend to be their favorite Swan Princess. "I'll be Priscilla" said one girl, "because she was the fairest of them all." Another girl chimed in, "I choose Ethel, because her music still echoes throughout the land." After the other children had named their favorite Princesses, one raven-haired girl spoke softly but with conviction: "I want to be like Odette, pure and true to myself." The children stared at her in shock, as even the mention of the exiled Princess was forbidden. The girl was called Odile, and she grew up to become a member of the Swan Guard, in spite of her problems with authority. She was known for doing things her own way, and getting away with it. In time a rumor spread throughout the kingdom that a man had been imprisoned by the Swan Princess any contact with the prisoner was strictly forbidden but Odile's curiosity got the better of her. She quickly befriended the prisoner and from him she found out that Flora was in grave danger. Odile decided to steal the magic seed and stop the plot against the Goddess in response the Swan Princess declared her an enemy of the kingdom, and Odile was transformed into a Black Swan, just like Odette before her. '''Child by the Lake (from A Fable of Two Hearts) Long ago, a baby was left on the banks of Swan Lake wrapped in a blanket. She never cried nor laughed, but silently stared at the soft waves blown by the icy wind. She remained there until she was found by a carpenter's wife. She immediately brought the child home to her husband. The couple could not have children of their own, so the baby was joyously welcomed as a gift from the Goddess. As soon as the baby could walk on her own, she started visiting that same spot at the lake where she was found. "She wants her real mother." concluded the wife. "No" said the carpenter, "She is in love with the water." Odette was a child who loved life and believed in the Goddess of the universe. She grew up to become a charming Princess who had a deep an mystical connection to the lake and its inhabitants. It was there at that very lake, that a small unexceptional amphibian would first set eyes upon her beauty. Far From Home (from A Fable of Two Hearts) The enchanted frog's curse was lifted by a kiss from the Swan Princess, who stood in amazement as she watched a hideous frog transform into a beautiful Prince. It wouldn't be long before the two fell in love, leaving Odette hesitant on her next step. The two parted for a short time, corresponding only through letters. But Odette had never denied her feelings, and would not do so for long. She announced her decision to wed the ex-frog Prince James to the Swan Guard, who in turn had her exiled from the Swan Kingdom. Odette spent a happy couple of years with James, but being so far away from the Swan Lake had taken its toll. She started to age rapidly, growing thinner and paler until she finally succumbed to illness. Without her by his side, Prince James reverted back to his amphibian state, and mourned her for many years. He built a small lake next to her shrine, so at least in death she could be reunited with her greatest love. Trivia * The name Odette is the female version of Otto, from the Old High German words "otho" and "odo", which are derived from the French word "auda" meaning "rich". Therefore, Odette is of French and Old German origin, and its meaning is "wealth". Quotes Quotes by Odette * "Hello, reflection. Do I look ready for adventure?" * "This is the strangest gift I've ever received." (speaking of the frog given to her) * "I'm not the kind of Princess to demand perfect stairs." * "The frog is becoming my most loyal assistant. I have to think how to repay it." * "One of my own? Why would anyone do that...?" * "I should've known better than to trust him." * "Let's see if this traitor will tremble when faced with a sharp blade." * "Does he think he can bribe me with this? I won't execute the man, but forgiveness is out of the question." *the game erroneously uses the word "will" here. * "People closest to me are the ones I have to worry about most. This will have to change." * "Let's see how the Harpy Queen likes that!" Quotes about Odette * "Feathers instead of skin, that's all she left to her kin." (description of Odette in Swan Archive text) * "The Frog Prince truly loved all of his wives, but it seems Odette held a special place in his heart." - Fairytale Detective * "I want to be like Odette, pure and true to myself." - Odile Galleries Character= f2h-odettes-reflection-in-the-pond.jpg|Odette's Reflection in the Pond F2h-odette-attacks-harpy.jpg|Odette Attacks a Harpy f2h-odette-holding-hunter-note.jpg|Odette Holds the Hunter Note f2h-odette-with-sword-on-bad-guy.jpg|Odette Threatens the Traitor f2h-bad-guy-coughs-up-piece.jpg|Odette Threatening the Traitor Swan and james.png|James and Odette |-|Depictions= Tep-swan-lake-door-portrait.png|Portrait of Odette above the door to Swan Lake Princess Shrine, The Exiled Prince Tep-swan-lake-princess-painting.png|Painting of Odette, The Exiled Prince swan temple.jpg|Statue of Odette in the Princess Temple, The Exiled Prince swan princess.jpg|Statue of Odette in Swan Lake Princess Shrine, The Exiled Prince Tep-marionette-display.png|Marionette puppets of Odette and James, The Exiled Prince Tep-dancing-figure.jpg|Dancing figurines of Odette and James, The Exiled Prince Swan kisses james.jpg|Portrait of Odette kissing James, The Exiled Prince tsp-glass-princess-emblem.jpg|Princess Glass Found in Druid's Hut, The Swan Princes and the Dire Tree tsp-swan-princess-center-crypt.jpg|Swan Lake Princess Tomb, The Swan Princess and the Dire Tree Tsp-frog-and-swan-figurines.jpg|Frog Prince and Swan Princess Figurines, The Swan Princess and the Dire Tree tsp-painting-of-james-and-odette.jpg|Portrait of James and Odette, The Swan Princess and the Dire Tree tsp-swan-banner-and-portrait.jpg|Swan Banner and Portrait, The Swan Princess and the Dire Tree tsp-black-and-white-swan-figures.jpg|Black and White Swans Dancing, The Swan Princess and the Dire Tree tsp-odette-bust-far-away.jpg|Odette Bust (Far Away), The Swan Princess and the Dire Tree tsp-odette-bust.jpg|Bust of Odette (Close-up), The Swan Princess and the Dire Tree f2h-odette-and-dude-opening.jpg|Odette in the Fable Opening, A Fable of Two Hearts F2h-odette-frog-ending.jpg|Odette in the Fable Ending, A Fable of Two Hearts f2h-odette-kisses-james-ending.jpg|Odette and Frog Prince in the Fable Ending, A Fable of Two Hearts f2h-james-and-odette-ending.jpg|James and Odette in the Fable Ending, A Fable of Two Hearts f2h-odette-and-james-ending.jpg|Odette and James in the Fable Ending, A Fable of Two Hearts |-|Artifacts= swan tiara.jpg|Odette's Tiara swan princess key.jpg|Swan Princess Key light_swan.png|Swan Lake Princess Emblem Fl swan gate.jpg|Swan Lake Gate in Fabled Legends: The Dark Piper tsp-swan-lake-princess-note.jpg|Swan Lake Princess Note tsp-swan-princess-center-tomb-open.jpg|Swan Lake Princess Tomb Contents tsp-swan-princess-crown.jpg|Swan Princess Crown tsp-swan-crown-in-indentation.jpg|Swan Princess Crown Key tsp-letter-to-odette-from-james.jpg|Letter to Odette from James tsp-odette-bust-plaque.jpg|Plaque on Odette's Bust |-|Locations= swan room.jpg|Main Room of Shrine to Odette swan marionette.jpg|Marionette Theater in Shrine Swan shrine.jpg|Moonlit Lake in Odette's Shrine tsp-odettes-room.jpg|Odette's Room Tsp-ross-in-swan-crypts.jpg |-|Other Images= Swan kisses james5.png|Odette with transparent background Dp11-concept-01.jpg|Concept Art of Odette's Room Edit_of_Swan_Lake_Princess-1-.jpg|Fan Edit of Odette Tsp-a-dark-dream.jpg|"A Dark Dream" Parable Image F2h-child-by-the-lake.jpg|"The Child by the Lake" Parable Image F2h-far-from-home.jpg|"Far From Home" Parable Image Category:Characters Category:Females Category:Humans Category:Protagonists Category:Swan Guard Category:Royalty Category:Princesses Category:Wives of the Frog Prince Category:Deceased Category:The Exiled Prince Category:The Swan Princess and the Dire Tree Category:A Fable of Two Hearts